New Perspectives

A foreign policy journal written by and for the enrichment of young professionals.

Volume 8 Winter 2015

About New Perspectives

New Perspectives in Foreign Policy is published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to provide a forum for young professionals to debate issues of importance in foreign policy. Though New Perspectives seeks to bring new voices into the dialogue, it does not endorse specific opinions or policy prescriptions. As such, the views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, CSIS, or the CSIS Board of Trustees.

Letter from the Editorial Board, Volume 8 Winter 2015

As the spread of global challenges across borders mandates greater coordination among different actors to produce robust solutions, the role of international institutions in effecting collective action has become increasingly important. However, in recent years, these same institutions are coming under increased scrutiny, whether for failing to stem worsening crises or for having lost their legitimacy in the face of a swiftly shifting global landscape. These developments have raised an important question: how must the current international order adapt to deal with today’s problems?

In this issue of New Perspectives in Foreign Policy, young professionals grapple with this question by analyzing the challenges of achieving effective international cooperation across a range of different issues. Their pieces offer insights into both the structural shifts that may be necessary to maintain established international institutions, and areas where common priorities could help spawn new cooperation.

Travis Gidado examines how the European Union today faces a rising tide of “Euroskepticism” in member states. Based on analysis of “Euroskeptic” movements in the United Kingdom and Hungary, Gidado argues that the European Union should pay closer attention to growing dissatisfaction, pointing out that it could snowball into a potential existential threat for the international body.

Next, Kaleem Hawa and Allison Roberts analyze the increasingly evident shortcomings of the global health infrastructure, scrutinizing the global response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Highlighting key deficiencies in the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and even the structure of U.S. health aid, Hawa and Roberts explain the importance of implementing a more robust, targeted global health infrastructure to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

Sabrina Deveraux explains how rising geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea are negatively affecting the physical environment in the region. Deveraux argues that while ignoring the environmental consequences risks worsening medium-term tensions, seeking cooperation in areas of mutual interest—such as management of fishery stocks—could provide a focal point for gradual trust-building and cooperation.

Finally, Niklas Anzinger addresses an example of international commercial cooperation with potential geopolitical implications: the much-discussed bilateral gas deal between China and Russia. Anzinger explains why the deal may not prove quite as profitable as proponents in Moscow might like, in part due to Russia’s limited leverage in China and the financial challenges of the deal.

The editorial board is also pleased to introduce a new interview series in this issue of New Perspectives in Foreign Policy, featuring as its inaugural interviewee Dr. Kathleen Hicks, CSIS senior vice president, Henry A. Kissinger chair, and director of the International Security Program. Dr. Hicks offers her insights on a range of key issues in U.S. defense policy, including conflict in Syria and the role of civilian leadership in the Department of Defense, as well as her thoughts on leadership and professional development.

Despite the often bleak outlook evident among observers of international politics, when creative analysis is applied in the service of the constant search for incremental policy improvements, even the worst situations present opportunities for progress. In this issue of New Perspectives on Foreign Policy, we are pleased to offer a combination of the above: international cooperation reexamined and reimagined.